Trips around Krakow and in the Region

Each trip may be organised in English, French and Spanish.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum / cost EUR 46/ tour with a guide

The Museum was established at the site of the largest Nazi Germany concentration camp founded in 1940. Oświęcim was then part of the Third Reich. From 1942, the camp became one of the centres of the “Endlösung der Judenfrage”, the Final Solution to the Jewish question. As estimated by historians, up to 1945 between around 1.5 million people were murdered here; mainly Jews from all over Europe, but also Poles, Gypsies and Russians.

The Museum, which is also a Memorial consists of two parts of the former camp complex: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau along with over 150 construction objects: barracks, crematoria, roads, ramps. The interior of the brick blocks, behind the malevolent gate with the sentence Arbeit macht frei, are arranged with expositions dedicated to victims of various nationalities.

The site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Information for visitors: one-day trip takes approximately 7 hours, including transport from the hotel in Krakow, the tour of the camp and the return journey to Krakow.

“Wieliczka” Salt Mine / cost EUR 44

The oldest salt mine in Europe is a unique place, where several generations of Polish miners created an underground world. The mine has salt lakes, interiors decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs (the largest sculpture weighs 15 tons), an underground church and chapels, including the famous chapel of St. Kinga. The lakes are so extensive that Mateusz Kusznierewicz, a multi-medalist of the World and European Championships, surfed on one of them. Wieliczka salt deposits cover an area of 7km2. At the beginning of the XX century, the town of Krakow had the same amount of surface area. The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Information for visitors: The excursion lasts for 4 hours, including to-and-fro, and about a two-hour tour of the mine. The excursion is not recommended for those suffering from claustrophobia and persons with disabilities – because of the need to navigate the stairs.

Today, Kazimierz is one of the districts of Krakow, but for several centuries it was a separate royal town – an island on the Vistula river. It was created by King Casimir the Great in the 14th century. A little over 100 years later, a decision was made to resettle Jews living in Krakow in the town. Thus, an enclave was created, which in a short space of time became an important centre of Jewish culture in Poland and the world. During this period, numerous synagogues were built, including universities, stately homes of Jewish merchants and bankers. After World War II, Kazimierz became deserted and fell into disrepair for decades. Today, we can talk about its revival and the new face of the district, which has become the centre of avant-garde culture and the favourite meeting place of its residents.

The Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory was founded in 1937 as a production plant for enamel and
tin products. The plant, which was leased and later acquired by the German entrepreneur Oskar Schindler in 1939,
operated until 1945. It is located at No. 4 Lipowa Street, in Krakow’s Zabłocie. Schindler employed
Jews threatened by extermination, then entered them on the so-called Schindler’s list, thus saving them from extermination. The story is known from the famous film directed by Steven Spielberg, honoured with Oscars.

In 2007, the Mayor of Krakow entrusted the management of the former factory to the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow with the aim of creating a permanent exhibition documenting the period of German occupation of the town. The interactive exhibition “Krakow under Nazi Occupation 1939-1945” attracts crowds of visitors every year. Information for visitors: the trip lasts for 4 hours.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Lanckorona / cost EUR 36

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska also referred to as Poland’s Jerusalem, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, is a town situated on the picturesque Pogórze Makowskie, founded in 1602 by the provincial governor of Krakow Mikołaj Zebrzydowski. The town owes its inception to the church of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, built according to the model imported from Jerusalem in 1599. The provincial governor also built the Tomb of Christ chapel and a small monastery that was handed over to the Bernardines. Today, the church and monastery, the complex of chapels and churches dedicated to the passion of Christ and the life of Mary, as well as the mannerist-style landscape park are visited by millions of pilgrims every year. Next to Częstochowa; it is also the most important pilgrimage centre in Poland, situated along the famous Papal Trail leading from Wadowice to Krakow. For connoisseurs of ancient architecture, it offers enchanting monuments, including wooden houses and pilgrim stalls from the turn of the XIX and XX century located on the oldest streets in the town. During the tour, participants will get the chance to admire the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Calvary.

Lanckorona – the picturesque town, located near Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – is known as the magic town of angels. It is said that it is the only town where angels knock on the doors of the residents to give them Christmas wishes.

Tourists are attracted to Lanckorona because of its beautiful location and famous 19th century market square buildings,where time has come to a halt. The wooden houses on marble underpinnings will enchant you with their characteristic arcades and high gates in the middle of the front walls, which were once entryways for carriages. For years, Lanckorona has attracted artists, painters, photographers and enthusiasts of ceramics.

Information for visitors: the trip takes up to 5 hours.

Wooden Architecture Trail / cost EUR 46

The Wooden Architecture Trail was created in 2001. Among the 255 most valuable and most interesting historical wooden buildings, are the picturesque churches, slender bell towers, old Polish manor houses, wooden villas and open-air museums, belonging to the most valuable monuments of folk culture. In 2003, four fifteen-century wooden churches were entered on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. These include St. Michael the Archangel Church in Binarowa, St. Michael the Archangel Church, Dębno in the Podhale region, St. Leonard’s Church in Lipnica Murowana and St. Philip and James Church in Sękowa.In 2013, four orthodox churches included in the Trail were added to the UNESCO List. These include St. James Church in Powroźnik, Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Church in Owczary, St. Paraskevi Church in Kwiatoń and St. Michael the Archangel Church in Brunary Wyżne.

Information for visitors: The trip takes 6-8 hours, depending on traffic. The tours do not include entry tickets to the churches.

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